Temple of Dendur

The Temple of Dendur is an ancient Egyptian temple that was built by the Roman governor of Aegyptus, Gaius Petronius, around 15 BC, commissioned by the emperor Augustus. It was dedicated to the Egyptian deities Isis and Osiris, as well as two deified sons of a Nubian chieftain, Pediese and Pihor. Originally located 50 miles south of Aswan, it was relocated in 1963 in order to prevent it from being submerged by Lake Nasser following the construction of the Aswan Dam. In 1965, Egypt presented the temple and its gate as a state gift to the United States, represented by Jacqueline Kennedy, and it was awarded to the Metropolitan Museum of Art on 27 April 1967. It has been exhibited there since 1978.